Hell in Heaven
by Kalika
Summary: While on a diplomatic mission with Captain Archer, Commander Tucker is kidnapped by rebels. Archer/Tucker slash.
1. Invitations

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Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their creators. I don't Enterprise and I don't claim to.

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Saying of the Day: May the Great Lord take a liking to you. But not too soon.

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Note: This is my first Enterprise fic so please be kind if it sucks. The story is slash (Archer/Tucker). I have only done a couple of slash stories before and this one is much more "descriptive" than I usually write. I hope it's good. Please read and review. Not that it's graphic in any way (I'm too much of a coward to write something like that yet.)

'' = Thought

"" = Speech

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter One: Invitations

Captain Jonathan Archer sat waiting in his ready room for his chief engineer to arrive. Enterprise had just come across a small planet called Tryta. Magistrate Shazal, leader of the Trytearian people, had extended an invitation for a visit. Archer had decided to ask Commander Tucker to join him.

"Enter," Jon called when the door chimed. 

Commander Tucker walking in with a slightly apprehensive expression on his face. "You wanted to speak to me, Captain?"

"Yes I did, Trip. We've just received an invitation from the Trytearian people to visit their capitol city. The Magistrate thought that we could spend a couple of days there to learn about the people. There is a rather well attended holiday coming up and people from all over the planet will be present. She believes it will give us a chance to see many of the cultures that inhabit this planet. Unfortunately, since so many people will be present she will only be able to accommodate two people." Jon asked. The visit sounded like it would be quite relaxing, and Commander had been working incredibly hard lately. Maybe he would appreciate the short break. " Would you like to come with me?"

"You sure you wouldn't want to take T'Pol or Hoshi. I'm not that great when it comes to diplomatic relations," Tucker explained. He was a bit surprised that he had been considered for this mission.

Jon smiled slyly as he stood up and walked over to his subordinate. "I could ask them, but I don't think they'd appreciate what I was planning to do in the spare time on this visit." He took Trip's hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "How long has it been since we were able to be together without having to worry about someone finding out about us?"

"Too long." Trip's voice was low and husky. "I'm really starting to like this idea of yours." Stepping forwards he wrapped his arms around his lover seductively and captured Jon's mouth with his own.

Gently, Archer ran his hands down Trip's body. He licked at the Commander's lower lip until his mouth was opened and the Captain could thrust his tongue in. Pushing slowly he succeed in pressing the engineer back against the wall.

"T'Pol to Archer"

With an annoyed growl Jon pulled back from his companion. He walked over to, and turned on, the communicator. "Archer here."

"Captain the Trytearian Magistrate has just contacted us inquiring about your answer. Shall I tell her that you have yet to make your decision." T'Pol relayed the information in her flat, expressionless voice unaware of what she had interrupted. "She also said to remind you that there in room to accommodate only two people."

"I'll talk to the Magistrate now, thank-you T'Pol. Could you patch the signal in here?" Jon scowled playfully at the knowing smile on Trip's face. Sitting down at his desk, the Captain activated the communication. He was careful to keep his back to Trip. Perhaps it would allow him to maintain a serious attitude.

"Hello Magistrate Shazal. I thank you for your patients. I'm afraid that I was in the middle of something." Jon could see Trip's face reflecting in a picture on the wall and only just managed to hold down his own smile.

"Good-day Captain Archer. Have you made your decision yet?" 

Is it my imagination or is the Magistrate nervous.' He pushed the thought away and replied, "Yes I have. My Chief Engineer and myself will be coming down to visit your planet. When would you like us?"

"Sooner is probably better. Just to make sure that you don't get caught in the holiday crowds. I will give your Sub-Commander the coordinates. There will be someone waiting to show you around."

"Of course. We will be down as soon as we can. Thank you again for your invitation." Jon transferred the signal back to the bridge and leaned back in his chair. "Well I guess we should get packed and head down."

"You positive we don't have a little time before we have to go?" Trip stepped up behind Archer and wrapped his arms around him. Leaning down, he kissed the back of Jon's neck softly as his lover chuckled. "I doubt that the Magistrate can't wait twenty minutes."

*****

Archer nodded to the large man who ushered them into the main hall. Trip flashed the man a brief smile as he passed. The two of them walked up to the dais at the head of the hall.

The Magistrate motioned to two chairs in front of her and waited until they were seated before speaking. "Captain Archer, I am so glad that you accepted my invitation."

"Thank you, Magistrate. I'd like to introduce my chief engineer Commander Trip Tucker." 

The Magistrate nodded to him absently before turning back to Archer with troubled eyes.

"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you Captain Archer. I didn't invite you down here just to be diplomatic. I had an ulterior motive." Shazal paused for a moment to take in her guest's reactions. Captain Archer seemed to be patiently awaiting her explanation, while Commander Tucker seemed to be trying to calculate the best route by which to escape the room. The Magistrate took a deep breath before continuing. "I asked you here because I need help. My people need help."

"What kind of help?" The suspicion in Captain Archer's voice was very thick.

"My government had recently instituted a few, more strict, policies. Don't get me wrong, the policies serve only to benefit the people. Unfortunately, a few of the activist who protest these policies have decided to become violent. They use terror attacks to frighten others into joining them and to try and force us into adhering to their demands."

"What exactly are you expecting us to do about it?" Trip asked in confusion. What was she expecting two men to do?

"I'm getting to that Commander Tucker." The Magistrate shifted her concentration back to Archer. "You have a powerful ship with a large crew. If you were to assist us in apprehending these activists it would be much appreciated.

Jon shot a quick glance at Trip. The engineer shrugged slightly in response to the unvoiced question. His actions my have been nonchalant but his posture practically radiated anger. Archer turned back to the Magistrate and said. "We're going to need some time to think about this. I'd also like to contact my ship."

"Please, go ahead."

There was no response when Archer pulled out his comm. and attempted to contact the Enterprise. A loud buzzing was the only reply. Trip took it and inspected it quickly. "The signal is being blocked. There's some kind of interference."

Shazal turned to her aide and demanded to know what was going on. In a few moments they had their answer. An electrical storm in the atmosphere was blocking their communications with Enterprise.

"They aren't expecting to pick us up for five days," Archer said, exasperated.

"You are still my guests, Captain. I have a room that you can use until the storm clears up. As I told your sub-commander you're going to have to share a room as we're running short." The Magistrate indicated the man who was to show them to their room. As they reached the door she spoke again. "Please consider my request Captain. We desperately need your help."

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To Be Continued

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Another Note: Please review if you liked the story. You can send me an e-mail if you like. If you see a lot of grammar mistakes or words that are in the wrong places, it is because I am a very crappy proofreader.


	2. The Plan

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Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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Saying of the Day: It's always darkest just before it goes black.

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter Two: The Plan

"I don't know Jon. I mean if these people are in the right then why didn't they just tell us the truth in the first place? What reason would we have for trusting them after they lied to us to get us down here?" Trip paced back and forth across their room in agitation. "I'll just bet they knew about the storm too. They've probably planned this so that we are stuck down here with no way to contact Enterprise." 

"But that doesn't make sense. If we were going to help them why wouldn't we bring down more people?" Jon asked from his seat on the bed.

"Maybe they just wanted to make sure that we were cut off so they could have an easier time forcing us to do what they want."

"Let's forget about it for now. We can worry about this in the morning. " Jon stood and stopped his friend's pacing. "Besides," he took hold of Trip's shoulders. "I can think of a much better way for us to spend the night."

With that Jon pulled Trip forwards into a crushing kiss. He let his hands wander until one was tangled in his lover's short hair and the other was cupping that perfect ass he loved so much. He thrust his tongue into Trip's mouth gently as he pushed the engineer backward onto the bed.

*****

"Besides . . . I can think of a better way for us to spend the night."

Belzial had been watching the couple all night, listening in to what they were discussing. So far he had been bored out of his mind just recording what they said and when they said it, but now things were starting to look interesting.

The camera that Shazal had had hidden in the room was on the ceiling and Belzial had been unable to see either of the men's faces so far. He watched as Captain Archer pushed the other man, Trip?', down onto the bed. 

Belzial could see Tucker's face perfectly now. Bathed in streams of moonlight from the window, he was the most amazing thing Belzial had ever laid eyes on. He had felt a stirring when the engineer had smiled at him briefly on his way into the main hall. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw the engineer arch his head back as Archer kissed his way down that long elegant neck. As Belzial watched the two of them discard their clothes there was only one thought in his mind. 

He will be mine.'

*****

"So they may decide not to help us?" The Magistrate looked up form the report that she was reading. "Are you sure that this is all that they said. There was nothing you missed, was there?"

"I observed them all night Magistrate. They said nothing more." Belzial took the report back when Shazal offered it.

"And there was no following conversation. They didn't speak of it again?" Shazal asked with worry. They needed help if they were going to stop the activists. They were losing fast and in a few more days would possibly be completely overthrown. The captain of the Enterprise had been their last chance. Now they were going to have to find some other way to prevail.

"I am afraid that they left early the next morning without discussing the situation." Belzial watched as the Magistrate turned to stare out the window in defeat. "Excuse me Magistrate, I know it is not my place but I have a suggestion. We still may be able to convince Captain Archer to assist us. He is cut of from his ship and cannot leave the planet."

"How are we to convince him? He has already made his opinion of the situation clear. I would not want to make him do anything against his wishes." Shazal sighed in defeat. They would never be able to convince Archer to help them."

"Our people need to have a strong, fair government. How can we do that if we are overthrown? I know that you dislike to notion, but I believe that we may be able to force him to do what we want." Belzial smiled to himself as he began to put his plan into motion. "It will require the right persuasion of course."

"The right persuasion?" Shazal asked in confusion.

"I have observed that Archer is very close to this Commander Tucker who is accompanying him. I believe that by . . . detaining the Commander, we will be able to force Captain Archer towards our own ends."

"Are you certain that it would work?" Shazal was still very doubtful. "I was under the impression that they were just co-workers or perhaps relatively close friends."

"Trust me Magistrate. They are lovers, and by holding Tucker captive, you will be able to make Archer do whatever you want." 

*****

Jonathan and Trip had gotten up early and decided to take a walk through the city. It would give them some time to think matters through. They had also wanted to see how the people were being affected by the goings on. 

So far those they had spoken to had had only good things to say about the Magistrate and her government. They also seemed to be in favor of her plans to stop the terror attacks. After an hour and a half of speaking to the people, Tucker and Archer had decided to spend the rest of the day sightseeing.

Archer frowned when he turned and saw that Trip was holding his head again. He had been doing it off and on for the entire morning. The Commander had not voiced any complaints but Jon was worried that something was wrong. "Are you alright, Trip?"

The engineer looked up and smiled apologetically. "I don't know. I had a bit of a headache when I woke up this morning. It just seems to be getting worse and worse."

Jon stepped up to Trip and pressed his wrist against the Commander's forehead. There didn't seem to be a fever. Trip didn't have any allergies; it must be just a stress headache. Archer was staring into his lover's eyes and so caught the pained wince that Trip tried to hide. "Let's go back to our room. Maybe you'll feel better after you've lain down for awhile. A bit of sleep might help." Archer started to head back but was stopped when Trip grabbed his arm.

"Jonny, why don't you keep looking around. You wanted to see the sights. I think I can find my way back."

"But, you're not well."

"I'll be fine. It's just a headache. It'll be gone in a few hours. I want you to have fun here." As he had said this, Trip had pulled Archer closer to him. He gave the Captain a quick peck on the check, turned to go, and found himself pulled into a crushing kiss. Trip was laughing by the time he was finally let go. "Something to remember you by? You aren't going to be that long. Are you?"

"No. I'll be there soon. I just wanted to try something we've never done before," Archer breathed softly. He had never let go of the Commander and his arm was now wrapped around his lover's waist. "We've never been able to do this before."

"You know I can't leave if you don't let go of me. Besides, people are starting to stare." Trip glanced around at the natives watching them. After having to hide their relationship from anyone for so long, public displays like this made Tucker feel nervous. He knew there was no one here who could get them in trouble, but be was still uncomfortable.

Archer had been thinking almost the same thing, only he wasn't nervous. He was practically giddy. He was with Trip, in public, and no one could say anything to get them into trouble. They wouldn't get in trouble! Jon had never felt so free. Grinning slyly, he leaned forward to whisper in his beloved's ear, "Let them stare," before enveloping his partner in another passionate kiss. He let his hands wander until one was ruffling the engineer's hair.

Jon broke off the kiss when he felt Trip wince. The Commander gave him an embarrassed smile. "Headache remember. I'd better go." Tucker extracted himself from Archer's embrace, squeezed the Captain's hand briefly, then turned and left.

*****

Trip was whistling to himself as he reached the room that he was sharing with Jon. Even with the fact that the two of them were literally trapped on this planet, he couldn't be happier. How often was it that the two of them could enjoy each other's company without worrying about anyone finding out? They could do practically anything they wanted and there was no need to worry about being caught. Trip was still smiling about that thought as he unlocked the door and entered their room.

He walked down the short hall, reached over and pushed on the panel to turn on the lights, but nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Suddenly he heard the door behind him close. He spun around but wasn't fast enough and ended up being slammed into the wall and having the air knocked out of him painfully.

"Who the hell . . .." He broke off as another mouth was crushed against his own. When he had first entered the room he had thought that perhaps Jon had beaten him back and was playing a prank on him but now he was positive that it wasn't his lover. First off, the Captain would have been careful not to hurt him, and secondly, Jon had never kissed him like this. Jon's kisses were always soft and gentle. This was harsh and painful, more like an invasion than anything else. The attacker pulled back from the kiss finally allowing Trip to pull some air into his lungs. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Trip asked while still panting for his breath. There was no reply, only the unknown person slamming Trip's head against the wall before moving in for another brutal kiss.

The fresh air and piercing pain in Trip's head brought him out of his shock. With a now somewhat clearer head the Commander was able to focus more on what was happening. He noticed that his hands were free, as well as his legs. He should be able to use that to some advantage against the large person who was assaulting him. The engineer gasped in surprise as the invader suddenly slid his hand down the back of Trip's pants and squeezed his ass. At the same time, Trip felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Slowly, his eyes began to slide closed as he lost consciousness.

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To Be Continued

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Note: Please review. I love getting positive criticism. If you didn't like my story, I don't care and I don't want to hear about it. Thanks.


	3. Assistance

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Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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Saying of the Day: May those who love us love us. And those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts. And if he doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles, so we may know them by their limping.

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter Three: Assistance

Jonathan smiled as he walked out of the store with his purchases. He had found a business that sold chocolate, or at least something that was like chocolate. Trip happened to have a huge weakness for the sweets and Jon could just imagine the look on his lover's face when he saw them. There was very little chance to obtain chocolates while on a starship, but he planned to buy a few boxes, before they left, to stash in his quarters for later.

Thinking back to the small argument that they had had the night before. Jon was glad he had made reservations at a small restaurant so that they could relax and try to forget about why they had been brought here. They were both tense and upset about the situation, so Jon had decided to try and make sure that they had pleasant night.

God, I hope Trip will have fun tonight,' Jon thought to himself as he entered the building where that two of them were staying. We haven't been free to be in public together for a long time and I think we'd both enjoy taking advantage of this.' The Captain grinned again as he opened the door to the shared room.

"Trip, are you home?" Jon called as he closed the door behind himself. "Come on Trip. I've got a great night planned. Where are you?" He walked into the room and stopped dead.

Magistrate Shazal was sitting at the table. One of her bodyguards, Machet, Jon thought, was standing beside her. After a quick scan of the room, Jon could see that Trip wasn't present.

"What's going on here?"

"I have come to speak to you about our problem. We need your help Captain. The activists are becoming increasingly violent. Our people are dying and we cannot wait any longer." The Magistrate stood up, walked to Archer, and took his hand. She looked him straight in the eye. "Please."

"We haven't decided yet. We are going to require more information before we can make our choice, and if we agree to help I will need the assistance of my crew, which will be impossible until this storm is over." Jon pulled his hand away. He took another quick look around the room for the Commander. Trip did say he was coming right back here. Didn't he?'

"I'm afraid that I am going to have to insist Captain. My people don't have the time to wait for you to confer with your ship in a few days. You must decide now." Shazal's eyes were steel-hard as she stared at Archer.

"What do you mean that you have to insist?" That's when a horrible though hit him. "Where is Trip? What have you done?"

"I'm terribly sorry but the Commander is . . . visiting . . . with my men." With that, Shazal turned and headed for the door. "You have until morning to tell me your decision.'"

Angrily, Jon tried to lunge after the Magistrate to stop her departure, but he was stopped by the gun that was suddenly in the bodyguard's hand.

"You can't do this. Please! Where is Trip?" the Captain yelled desperately.

The Magistrate heard the words clearly as she exited the room. Blinking furiously against her tears, Shazal got into the transport that was waiting to take her back to headquarters.

*****

"Wake up handsome!"

Trip groaned as pain shot through his head. He opened his eyes to harsh lights. With shaking arms, which he barely noticed were manacled together in front of himself, he managed to push himself up into a sitting position. He didn't feel strong enough to get up any farther.

Looking around, he took stock of his surroundings. He was in a small gray room that looked almost like a prison cell. There was a small cot, on which he lay, and a sink on the opposite wall. One small window showed, through the bars, a dark purple sky. It had to be early evening. Turning his head, Trip was able to see the door to his cell'. Standing in the doorway was one of Magistrate Shazal's many bodyguards.

"Belzial?" Trip hoped he hadn't gotten the name wrong. The man staring at him didn't seem to have much tolerance. "What's going on? Why am I being restrained? And what am I doing here?" His head was pounding and he couldn't remember anything that had happened since he had left Jon while they were shopping.

"Nice to see you awake, Commander. I've been waiting quite awhile now." Ignoring the questions, Belzial walked into the room leaving the door open behind him. None to gently he pulled Trip to his feet by the wrist bindings. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around the weaker man, trying to make it seem as though he was just assisting the engineer.

"Um. Thanks, I guess," Trip said slowly. The guard was acting rather strangely, and still hadn't explained why he was being held in shackles. "Could you maybe explain what happened to me? I'd really like to know why I am being held here. I can't exactly remember much of it."

Belzial smiled to himself. So, the Commander couldn't remember. Well the he was just going to have to be reminded, wouldn't he? Just wait,' Belzial told himself. It will be much more fun if Tucker is scared.'

"I'm sorry, Commander. Our situation has become escalated. Our government needs to move against the activists now and we require Captain Archer's assistance. He can help us to plan our strike since help from your crew is now out of the question." Belzial smiled at the look of confusion on Commander Tucker's face and decided to drop the bomb. "You are going to be held captive until the activists have been stopped. To ensure the Captain's cooperation."

I think that we'll be holding onto you for a much linger time. Especially if I have anything to say about it.' Smiling again, the guard watched Trips face closely. He didn't want to miss a thing as the information began to sink in. 

"So, I'm a hostage then? There's no reason to do this. Captain Archer isn't foolish enough to give into your demands just because you're holding me. " Trip said trying to convince both the bodyguard and himself at the same time.

"I'm quite certain that the Captain will do exactly what we want. God knows I would if you were my lover and you had just been taken from me." Belzial barely managed to stifle his laughter at the look of surprise on the smaller man's face. "Yes, I do know about you and I'm quite certain that we will be able to make the Captain do whatever we want him to do."

"Oh, God." But Trip's shock at the information was short lived as Belzial suddenly bent down and began to kiss his neck. The larger man pressed his captive back up against the wall as he continued his ministrations.

"Stop!" Trip shoved the guard back as best he could and only succeeded in moving the larger man a couple of inches. "What are you doing? STOP!" The last word came out in a sharp yelp as Belzial dug his teeth into the engineer's soft neck.

"'What am I doing?' You said that you couldn't remember what had happened before you got here. I'm just . . ." Belzial paused to kiss the exposed neck again before continuing, "reminding you. Don't you remember now?"

Trip gasped in horror as Belzial grabbed his head and began to kiss him harshly. He did remember. He remembered everything. God, how he wished that he didn't. Trip could feel the man's large hand sliding down his back as the man pressed against him. Desperately, Trip tried to pull back from the tongue invading his mouth, but he was unable to move his head. He was panicking and was having trouble distinguishing between what was happening now and what was just a memory. Choking off a sob, Trip once again tried to push the other man away.

"Belzial?"

With a swear the bodyguard pulled back and swung around to glare at the open door.

"Belzial, what are you doing in there?" A second man had appeared in the doorway. Trip couldn't remember the man's name but he remembered him being introduced as another of the Magistrate's bodyguards. Oh, God! Oh, please no!'

"Machet. I was just checking the prisoner's restraints. You weren't supposed to be back so early." Belzial could barely contain his rage at being interrupted; at not being able to release himself. He could easily order the other guard to leave, but that would destroy his entire plan if the fool man couldn't keep his mouth shut. For now he would have to wait.

Trip was shoved back onto the cot as the angry guard stormed out of the room.

*****

Jon had sat up all night trying to think of another way to get Trip back. Hell, he had spent half of the night trying to pretend that Trip was just going to walk through the door, listen to all of his silly fears, and then kiss them all away. It had gotten harder and harder to pretend after he had found that smear of blood on the wall by the door. Somehow he just couldn't bring himself to touch it and so had been unable to clean it off.

For a while he had tried to convince himself that they wouldn't hurt Trip and all that Jon would have to do would be to wait for the storm to end and then call his ship for assistance. Every time his pacing carried him past the blood he had doubted the plan more and more until it had just vanished as an option. Eventually, seeing the blood over and over again had caused Jon to feel sick and he had decided to sit down so he wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

Casting one last wishful look at the door, Jon stood up. It was time to stop pretending. He would have to go to the Magistrate and tell her that he agreed to help. Unfortunately without the assistance of the Enterprise and her crew he had a lot of trouble seeing them winning.

With a tired sigh, Jon pulled on his jacket and headed out the door. He was just going to have to do everything in his power to help the Magistrate. The sooner he offered assistance, the sooner he would get his Trip back.

*****

"Looks like you're free to go. Your Captain helped us to stop the activists. He assisted in coming up with a great plan. Our people were able to capture almost all of the activists in the capital city. It won't be hard for us to round up the rest of them. Anyways, I'm here to take you back to headquarters. Shall we?" Machet gestured towards the open door behind himself.

"Just a second. Do you think you could maybe remove these?" Trip asked as he held up his bound hands. He waited as the guard undid the manacles and then gestured towards the door himself. "After you."

"Thank you." Machet smiled with a bit of embarrassment. "Please don't hold this against our people. We were desperate. The magistrate did hold to her promise that you wouldn't be hurt. What else could we . . ."

Trip had to jump backwards as a blast of light threw the guard forwards. Looking down Trip couldn't see any marks to contribute to the man's state, and just hoped that he wasn't dead. His presence had kept the other guard away.

"Hello beautiful."

Trip spun back to the door and came face to barrel with a gun. He looked past it into Belzial's grinning face. The man slowly forced Trip back across the room. Half way he squatted down to pick up the fallen manacles, all the while never taking his eyes off of his prey.

"I'm afraid that there has been a change of plans, Commander. You're going to be coming with me. No pun intended, of course. Please face the wall."

Trip was frozen in shock. He had been so close to being free. This madman was never going to let him go. Silently, he begged Jon to forgive him as Belzial furiously spun him around and slammed him into the wall. He could feel the tears running down his face as his hands were once again bound, this time behind his back. He felt a small pinch in the back of his neck then a slight lightheadedness as the drugs began to take effect.

Belzial smiled at the tears that shone on Commander Tucker's face. This was perfect. Tucker would be easy to handle when the drugs were working fully. The guard stepped forward and landed the dizzy Commander with a ravenous kiss. Reaching down he grabbed the engineer's wrists and squeezed hard causing Trip to let out a sharp cry of pain. Belzial stopped the kiss and, smiling lustfully, leaned down to whisper in his captives ear. "Archer was a lucky man. Too bad he'll never see you again. You're mine now. Let's go."

Trip was dragged from the room easily as the drugs in his system continued to gradually subdue him. The last thing he remembered was being thrown into the back of a transport.

*****

To Be Continued

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Note: Thanks for the reviews. I love getting feedback on my stories.


	4. Not Again!

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Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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Saying of the Day: May the roof above you never fall in, and may the friends who gather below it never fall out.

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter Four: Not Again!

Jon was pacing back and forth in his room. Trip was supposed to have been here by now. What was taking so long? If the Magistrate was trying to hold out for something else, she was going to regret it.

The chimes brought Archer back to reality and he hurried over the open the door. It wasn't Trip. It was Magistrate Shazal and she looked decidedly upset.

"Where's Trip?" Jon glanced past Shazal quickly to make sure that his lover wasn't behind her. He looked back and could tell by the Magistrates expression that this wasn't going to be good news.

"He's gone. One of my men was a traitor. He knocked out the other guard and took your officer. We don't know where they've gone. By the time Machet woke up there was no trace of either of them." Shazal was close to tears. This is all my fault. What was I thinking, having the Commander taken captive?'

"He's gone? Do you have any clues as to where he was taken? Do you know who took him?" Fear made Jon's voice crack as he asked his next question. "Do you think he'll be killed?"

Archer cursed himself viciously. If an activist had taken Trip because he had helped the Magistrate . . .. If Trip were killed, Jon would never be able to forgive himself. How could I have been so stupid? I'm sorry Trip.'

"We have a few leads as to where they may have gone. I have people looking into it as we speak. I don't think that he will be killed. The man who took him was not an activist. That's why this was so unexpected. We cannot understand his motives."

"Not an activist," Jon whispered to himself. "That's good. Wait a minute, you still haven't said who took him. Do you know?"

"We are not sure, but we believe that it may have been Belzial. He is one of my guards and he hasn't been seen anywhere since this morning."

That information just floored Jon. One of her own people had taken Trip! He was glad that it wasn't an activist out for revenge, but was still worried. What could this Belzial want with Trip? Archer didn't have anything to give him if his was fishing for a ransom. All contact with Enterprise was still being blocked and Archer would be unable to meet any demands that were made.

"Please believe me Captain, my people will do everything in their power to help you find your crewman and ." The Magistrate broke off at the look of absolute fury in Archer's eyes. "Um I'm going to go and get my men on it. Now. We'll let you know as soon as we find anything."

*****

Once again, Trip woke up to a splitting pain in his head. He was lying on a hard cement floor on his side. His arms were still secured behind him and his shoulders were starting to cramp up.

"Good morning my slave." Trip felt himself pulled up from the cold floor. Belzial was giving the engineer a most unnerving leer.

Viciously, The large man buried his hand in Trip's short hair and forced the engineer's head back painfully. Trip tried to pull back as Belzial's mouth engulfed his own, but was held firmly in place by unyielding hands.

Trip began to panic as Belzial's tongue thrust into his mouth. Desperately, he kicked out and connected with the other man's knee. Belzial cried out and released his hold on his prisoner. The Commander tried to make a run for it but was stopped roughly when his hand's, still bound behind his back, were grabbed. He was spun around and ended up face to face with his captor. Belzial backhanded Tucker across the face while still holding onto the wrist binders with one hand.

Trip cried out in pain as his arms were wrenched painfully. He barely had time to clear his head before he was pulled back and hit again, this time with a balled fist that cracked against his jaw. He was knocked to the side, and his arms felt like they were on fire. Trip could feel a warm wetness on his hands and was relatively sure that his wrists had been cut on the binders that were holding them. It now felt as though someone was jabbing hot needles into his palms and fingers. His left shoulder burned like it had been dipped in acid.

Trip didn't even registered the second punch and was surprised to find himself lying on his side on the floor. He felt himself pushed over onto his back and moaned as his body weight pressed down onto his arms, which were now bound beneath him. Trip looked up and saw Belzial pull a knife out of his boot. The large man dropped down and straddled the engineer's hips as he began to cut his captives clothing off.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and Belzial was gone. Gentle hands pulled Trip up into a sitting position. He felt his arms being freed and heard a single rather vicious swear before the pain caused him to pass out.

*****

Jon had never been so angry in his entire life. He had entered the room and when he saw Belzial straddling a half-naked, very bloody Trip, his vision had turned red. He had fired immediately and had never even cared that the weapon had been set on kill.

It had seemed to take him forever to reach his lover. When he got there he kicked Belzial's body out of the way without a second though and set to making sure that Trip was all right. Gently, he helped the battered engineer to sit up and reached behind him to undo the wrist binders.

"Fuck!" Jon gasped as he got a good look at Trips wrists. The skin had been torn open and on the right wrist he could see a pale hint of the bone that was hidden beneath all of the blood. Jon looked up alarmed as Tucker began to sway and caught the injured man as he collapsed.

"Trip! Trip. Answer me. Trip, wake up." Carefully, the captain lay his partner back on the ground and set to dressing the injured wrists with strips of cloth from the slashed shirt that was laying on the ground beside them. Trip was losing a lot of blood. Any other wounds were going to have to wait for the time being. 

"Here." Shazal was kneeling beside him now and offering a large soft blanket. Jon took it and very gently wrapped it around Trip.

"I am so sorry. I swear, I thought Belzial could be trusted. I never meant any harm to come to your friend. I didn't. I just wanted your help and I didn't know what to do." Shazal watched Trip the entire time she was apologizing. His breathing was strong and his injuries wouldn't be life threatening as long as they stopped the blood loss. They might cause problems if they got infected. Still she winced at every bruise or cut that could be seen on the engineer. "Please allow my people to help. I promise that he will receive the best care."

"I'd rather have my doctor take care of him back on my ship." Jon's voice was cold despite how much worry shone in his eyes as he stared at Trip's face. "But until the storm clears up I guess your people will have to do."

"Alright then, let's go. I had the emergency transport brought. It's waiting outside. If you would like to return to the compound with me you may. It's been a hard few days and the hospitals are full. I can have my personal doctor look after him" Shazal said as she walked over to the door to call for help in carrying Commander Tucker out.

Jon waved them off when they came inside he lifted Trip up into his arms carefully and began to carry him out to the transport himself. When he reached the door he stopped and turned to the Magistrate. "Thank you." He growled sarcastically. "I'm going to stay with Trip while the doctor sees him."

*****

To Be Continued


	5. Awakening

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Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter Five: Awakening

"Trip? Wake up Trip. Come on. Please" Jon was watching the Commander's face closely. He had been sure that he had seen Trip's hand move, but maybe he had been wrong.

Wait. There it was again. Trip's hand had definitely moved this time. Jon heard a weak groan as the Commander began to wake. He watched as his lover's eyes opened slowly.

"Jonny?" The voice was cracked and weak.

Archer leaned forwards quickly to peer into Tucker's eyes. "How do you feel, Trip?" he asked with concern.

"Like the warp drive just fell on me. Where are we?" Trip tried to push himself into a sitting position and gasped in pain. His arms felt like they were burning.

"Careful." Jon caught his lover and eased him back onto the bed. "You need to be careful. Your wrists were pretty badly torn up and you have a dislocated shoulder. The doctor said that your other shoulder would be sore for awhile as well." He paused for a moment before adding, "We're in our room at the consulate. The hospital was full so the Magistrate just had a doctor come here."

"Well that's good I guess." Trip broke off into a fit of coughing. Jon leaned forwards and helped Tucker get a sip of his water. "Oh God, my cheek hurts. How bad does it look?" 

"Um. It looks fine."

"Oh. That bad huh?"

"Yeah. It's probably going to be sore for a few days as well. But don't worry, It's only superficial. It'll clear up nicely." Jon reached down to take Trip's hand. "I'm so glad that you're alright. I was so worried about you." He glanced into the Commander's eyes before shifting his gaze down again. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get to you faster. You should never have had to go through that. I'm so sorry."

Trip reached out with his better arm and raised Archer's face until they were eye to eye. "Jon. Stop apologizing. It wasn't your fault. It could never have been your fault. I should have been more careful. I'm sorry that you were worried." He tried to push himself up a bit to give Jon a kiss but collapsed back with a cry as his arms gave out.

"Trip! Trip, are you alright?" Archer's voice was thick with concern. One moment he had been staring into his lover's sweet eyes and the next he was trying to catch Trip as the injured man fell. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," Trip's voice was weak with pain. "I just put too much weight on my arms. They're okay now. It's not so bad." He let out a low moan as Archer gently touched his "good" shoulder.

"Trip, you need to take it slow. You're going to hurt yourself. Please be careful. I hate seeing you in pain." Jon leaned down and gently kissed Trip's forehead.

"Mmm. God, that feel's good." Tucker closed his eyes with a soft sigh. He relaxed back onto the pillows as Archer moved to cover his nose and eyelids with kisses.

Moving down, Jon felt a rush of anger as his eyes swept over the deeply bruised and slightly swollen lips of his subordinate. His anger increased as he though about how they had gotten that way. If Belzial hadn't already been dead, Jon would have strangled him himself.

"Something wrong, Jonny." Trip had opened his eyes to find his partner frowning at his face. "Come on Jon, I can't look that bad," he joked halfheartedly.

Jon started and glanced back up into the engineer's questioning eyes. A slight smile played across his lips as he spoke. "You look beautiful, Trip. I just I didn't want to hurt you."

"That's not the only reason is it, Jon?" Trip asked softly. He was pretty sure that he knew what was bothering Archer, but he wouldn't bring it up until the other man was ready.

"I just keep seeing him hurting you. I was terrified when I found out that you were gone. I couldn't stop imagining what was happening. And then when I finally found you and I saw what he was doing" Jon's voice cracked with emotion. "What if you had been seriously hurt? I could have lost you."

"Shh. Jonny, come here." Trip tried to reach for Jon but was stopped by the pain. He waited until his partner had come closer before forcing himself up so that he could wrap his arms around the other man. "You didn't lose me Jonny, and you never will. I'd never leave you like that. Besides, you know that I'm to stubborn to die."

Archer chuckled gently against Trip's neck. He sat up straight and found his tears being wiped away by gently fingers. He could feel the injured man's hands shacking and very slowly laid the Commander back on the bed. His smile was brief, as he considered how much pain his partner had just endured in order to make him feel better, before letting his concern and affection take over.

"I love you Trip, but please take it easy. You're trying to do too much. You need to slow down." Very softly, Jon brushed a brief kiss across Trip's sore lips.

"I love you too, Jon, but please don't go all over protective on me. I don't think that this is going to be too common of an occurrence for us. At least I hope not. I'm fine now." Trip tried to hide a large yawn with his hand but was unsuccessful.

"I think you should get some rest Trip. Don't worry, I'll still be here when you wake up." With that, Archer reached down and pulled up an extra blanket, which he tucked around the Commander. "Sleep well Trip."

Captain Archer watched for a few moments before the Commander fell asleep. With a satisfied and relieved smile he himself settled down to keep guard.

*****

Jon stood beside Trip as they faced the Magistrate in her private audience room. She had requested their presence. Archer had been all set to refuse and so received quite a shock when Trip had insisted that they go. So, here he was, keeping a close watch on the engineer just to make sure that he didn't get worn out.

"Commander Tucker. Captain Archer. Thank you for coming. I regret that it is under such horrible circumstances. Commander," Shazal hesitated briefly before continuing, "I would like to apologize for what happened to you. Please believe me when I say that I thought Belzial was a dedicated and loyal bodyguard. I never imagined what he was planning. I'm sorry for what he did, and I am sorry that you were injured. I understand that we had no excuse for our kidnapping you, but we didn't know what else to do."

Jon had been watching Trip carefully. He had seen his partners flinch at the mention of Belzial's name, and he was angry that the Magistrate had spoken so carelessly. He was even more surprised to hear Trip thank the Magistrate for her apology. He had been about to turn back to her when he saw the Commander waver. Stepping forward quickly, Archer very carefully took hold of Tucker's right shoulder to steady him.

"Commander? Are you alright?" Magistrate Shazal stood up from her chair and walked down to her guests. She had also seen Tucker waver and was concerned. It didn't escape her notice that Captain Archer had an angry look on his face and she decided to keep her distance from the pair. To cover her nervousness she asked, "Should I call the doctor?"

Trip looked up and shook his head carefully. "No, I'm alright. It's just the painkillers making me tired." Not intentionally, he proved his point by leaning slightly into Archer's hold. His legs barely felt strong enough to hold him up anymore. He felt Jon nudge him inquiringly and nodded slightly.

"Magistrate Shazal, I think that I will take Trip back to our room. If you'll excuse us." He was unable to keep the bitterness from his voice as he spoke. He didn't accept her apology, even if Trip did.

"Of course Captain Archer." Again, she saw the Captain's anger. It was perfectly understandable and she berated herself for trying to hold it against him. "I'll send word as soon as the storm is cleared up and we are able to communicate with your ship."

"Thank-you," Jon said through gritted teeth as he turned and helped Trip from the room.

*****

The walk to the room hadn't made Archer feel any better about Shazal's apology. Every stumble and pain filled moan from the man he supported caused his anger to grow. Trip would be happy and full of energy right now if only we had never come down to this damn planet,' Jon thought to himself before wincing at Trip's soft cry when he had to shift his hold on the engineer so that he could open the door.

He helped his partner into the room and slowly lowered Trip onto the bed. He piled the pillows up so that the Commander could lean against them comfortably. He sat on he bed for a moment before his anger forced him to jump up and start pacing.

"Does she really think that her apology means anything. None of this would have happened if not for her." Jon was furious. As far as he was concerned everything that had happened to the engineer was because of her, and the fact that the magistrate had the nerve to apologize so callously directly to Trip made him even angrier. 

"It wasn't her fault, Jon. She couldn't have known what was going to happen." Trip was watching his lover from the bed. He could see that the captain was growing increasingly angry.

"Wasn't her fault!? Shazal was the one who ordered your capture. She's the reason that you were hurt. There's no excuse for that. Why are you trying to defend her?" Jon didn't intend to snap at his lover but he was too furious to care.

"She was only doing what she thought was necessary to help her people. We can't hold the actions of one of her followers against her." Trip patted a spot on the bed beside him. "Come here. Your pacing is making me dizzy."

Jon's scowl lightened as he dropped onto the bed as gently as he could. He saw the small wince that played across Tucker's face as his sore arms were jarred. Putting an apologetic arm around his lover, Jon pulled Trip down so that the Commander's head was resting on his shoulder.

"I don't really get why you're being so understanding about all of this. You have every right to be furious with the Magistrate, but you're not," Archer said as he gently ran his hands through Trip's hair.

"I'm not sure why either, Jon. Maybe it's the drugs." He smiled at Jon's short laugh before continuing. "It wasn't really her fault. She didn't do this to me." He lifted his arms slightly before letting them drop back into his lap. "He did."

"Shh. You don't have to talk about this now if you don't want to Trip. You're tired. Maybe you should just get some rest." Jon was afraid of this talk. He had wanted to be able to avoid it until he was less angry, but if Trip wanted to talk about it now than he could sit through it. Shifting slightly, Jon kissed Trip's forehead. 

"I don't think that I can wait any longer. If I keep putting it off then I'll never be able to talk about it. But, if you don't want to talk then I understand. This can't exactly be easy for you either. I'm sorry. We don't have to do this if you don't want to." Trip smiled softly and sat up so that his head was no longer resting on Jon's shoulder.

Archer cursed himself silently. He had made Trip think that he didn't want to hear about what had happened. All right, so he really didn't, but he would do anything for his lover right now. How hard was it to listen for the few minutes that it would take his lover to relay what had happened?

*****

To Be Continued


	6. Leave-takings

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Disclaimer: See chapter one.

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Hell in Heaven

By Kalika

Chapter Six: Leave-takings

"Damn," Jon whispered when he heard the communicator signal. After a tearful description of the past few days Trip had fallen asleep half on top of him and Jon didn't want to wake him. Slowly and carefully, the Captain slid out from under the engineer while softly lowering the other man down onto the bed. Quietly, he made his way across the room to where he had dropped the communicator.

"Archer here." Having expected the call to be from Magistrate Shazal, he didn't bother to disguise the annoyance in his voice. Unless she was calling to tell him that they were able to contact their ship, he was going to give her a piece of his mind. He was in no mood to be civil to here right now.

"Captain, are you alright?" T'Pol's voice crackled over the comm. It sounded far away and fuzzy. The storm must still be interfering with the machinery.' Jon was brought back from his thoughts when he realized that T'Pol was still speaking. "I'm sorry Sub-Commander. I didn't catch that. Could you repeat it?"

"I said that the storm seems to be dissipating. We will probably be able to send down a shuttle for you in the morning." Again the comm. faltered and the signal was lost before returning, " have an enjoyable visit?"

"I'll tell you about it when we get back." Jon sidestepped the question. He needed to speak to Trip about what information they were going to give to the crew. To take his mind off of that thought he decided to ask a question of his own. "How's the ship? Has everything gone smoothly?

"Yes Captain, everything is fine. We have had a very uneventful few days. When the storm is cleared up I can have Lieutenant Reed bring down the shuttle whenever you wish."

"Thank you, T'Pol. Please send one down as soon as it is safe. We will be ready for you. Archer out." Jon put the communicator down and turned back to the bed. Trip was still asleep and instead of waking him, Archer opted to pull up a chair and sit off to the side.

*****

Archer shielded his eyes against the sun as he watched the shuttle drop below the clouds. The captain turned and stepped back into the transport terminal. He walked over to the Commander who he had left sitting on one of the many chairs. Archer smiled slightly when he saw that his subordinate had fallen asleep. "Trip." He shook the sleeping man gently. "Come on Trip. Malcolm's here. It's time for us to go."

"What? Malcolm? The shuttle's here already?" Trip mumbled in confusion. His eyes were still half closed and Jon doubted that he was even completely awake yet.

"Yeah, it is here and Lt. Reed is probably waiting. Come on, let's get you up." Archer slid his arm around the Commander's waist and helped pull him to his feet. Keeping his arm where it was, he guided his lover out into the sunlight. He could see the Lieutenant coming out of the shuttle pod hatch.

Tucker groaned and turned slightly to hide his eyes from the light, against Archers shoulder. "God, it's bright out here. I'm so tired." He stumbled slightly as his eyes slid closed again.

Captain Archer stopped suddenly and spun to catch the half-asleep man. He pulled his partner against his chest as he beckoned to Lt. Reed. He felt Trip's knees give out just as Malcolm reached them.

"Lieutenant, take his other side, but be careful not to jar his shoulder. Let's get him into the shuttle and out of the light." Archer waiter until Trip was supported equally between them before starting to move again. Slowly, they made their way to the ship, pulling the half-conscious engineer between them.

"Captain Archer?" Jonathan turned and growled when he saw Magistrate Shazal coming out of the terminal. He had hoped never t see her again. He transferred the weight he was bearing to Malcolm and was about to start back when Trip caught his arm. He looked directly into the glazed but questioning eyes before saying, "Don't worry Trip. I'm just going to talk to the Magistrate. Malcolm will help you to the shuttle. I'll be there in a little while." He waited for a nod before stalking away to speak to Shazal.

"Come on, Commander. It's just a little farther," Malcolm said as he once again began to lead Tucker to the shuttle.

*****

Malcolm had gotten increasingly concerned as he walked toward his two superior officers. He had seen the Commander almost fall and was relieved to see the Captain catch him. Hurrying the rest of the way, he barely had time to take in the engineer's injuries before taking hold of the weak man.

As he and Archer helped Trip back to the shuttle, he took stock of all the injuries that the Commander had sustained. He took in the stark white wrist bandages and the arm sling in passing before turning to examine his best friends face.

He was surprised by the anger he felt at the sight of those bruised cheeks and exhausted eyes. He wanted to know what had happened but decided to refrain from asking for now.

They had almost reached the shuttle when the Trytearian Magistrate showed up. Malcolm tried to ignore the fact that he was certain Captain Archer had growled when he saw her. The Lieutenant could tell that the growl was mostly protective and angry, but he could detect a subtle hint of possessiveness. He didn't know why, but that sound made him feel both relieved and concerned. 

As the Captain left, Malcolm wrapped his arms more tightly around Trip and helped him the last few steps to the shuttle pod. Inside, he guided his friend to one of the benches and helped him sit. Squatting down in front of his friend, Malcolm helped Tucker slide down until he was lying on his back. The Lieutenant made sure that his friend was comfortable before going to prep for launch.

*****

Archer entered the shuttle and set down the bags he was carrying. The Magistrate had wanted to apologize again for what had happened. Her bodyguards had brought out the bags that Jon had left in the transport terminal. He had listened to her for as long as he could, but he had to leave quickly when he began to realize that she had been right.

Jon dropped into one of the chairs with a sigh. He wanted to hate Shazal. He had been avoiding her for exactly that reason. He didn't want to see that both she and Trip were right. The Trytearian government had had no choice. They were trying to help their people. With a mental grimace, Archer released the anger he had been trying desperately to hold onto. He didn't want to understand. He didn't want to accept that, though they hadn't been justified in it, kidnapping Commander Tucker had been their best move.

Jon understood that what had happened to Trip wasn't Magistrate Shazal's fault. She couldn't have known what would happen. She had never wanted the engineer to get hurt. He understood that. As Archer let the anger leave him he was filled with worry for his lover. He had been to preoccupied to notice before, but Trip seemed to be in worse shape now that he had been in when he had first been rescued. His exhaustion was not, in Jon's opinion, being caused only by the painkillers that he was taking. Archer turned to look at the injured man and saw the sweat beading his forehead. An awful thought struck Archer as he watched Trip.

"Malcolm, let's go. Contact Enterprise and tell them to have Doctor Phlox standing by," Archer ordered as he got up to check on Tucker. Gently, he lifted his partner and sat down resting Trip's head on his legs. Brushing his hand across the engineer's forehead Archer's fears were confirmed. Commander Tucker was burning up, probably due to an infection.

"Jonny? Where are we? It's so hot." Trip's voice was weak and strained. As he spoke, he kept his eyes closed against the harsh cabin lights. "Why is it so bright?"

"Just wait." Archer reached over to the control panel and dimmed the lights in the back of the cabin. Settling back, he held Trip steady as the shuttle lifted off. As they raised through the atmosphere he tried to take Trip's mind off of his pain with soft words. He saw his partner wince as he shifted and leaned down to kiss the engineer's hand in reassurance.

*****

Malcolm made sure that everything was in order before he set the automatic navigation and turned to address the Captain. He blushed furiously when he realized that he was witnessing something that he was probably never supposed to see. Archer was holding one of Trip's hands while softly brushing back the Commander's sweat soaked hair.

Malcolm faced forwards again quickly, but turned slightly to glance at the pair briefly. Archer was whispering comforting words to the Commander. It was almost as if Archer didn't even remember that he and Trip weren't alone in the shuttle. The lieutenant turned away again and pretended to check the readings on the control panel in front of him.

Wanting to remind the Captain of what was happening Malcolm spoke quietly, "We will be reaching Enterprise in about five minutes, Captain." Archer jumped with surprise when he heard the Lieutenants voice. 

Unfortunately, the jump had jarred Trip's arm. The engineer gave a soft cry that turned into a harsh cough. As the coughing continued, Archer helped the Commander sit up so that his airway was more open. Eventually, the coughing trailed off into weak gasps. Jon looked up in surprise when he saw a water bottle being held up to Trip's mouth.

Malcolm tilted the bottle very slightly so that his friend wouldn't get too much water all at once. When he pulled the bottle back he saw that Trip was asleep. Putting down the container he helped the Captain settle Tucker back down on the bench.

Jon looked up when he felt Lt. Reed touch his shoulder. Malcolm looked at him for a moment before speaking. "He's going to be alright, Captain. We'll be back on Enterprise soon and Doctor Phlox will take care of him. Don't worry."

Archer nodded slightly before dropping down on the floor next to the bench. He forced a smile onto his face and thanked the lieutenant. As he watched Malcolm head back to the front of the shuttle, Jon realized how he had been acting. There was no way that Malcolm could not have noticed. Furious with himself, Archer tried to envision just how much damage he had just done to both his and the Commander's careers. Fraternizing with officers under his command was strictly forbidden. If Malcolm said anything they could both lose their jobs. Jonathan berated himself for his stupidity as he dropped his head onto his arms in defeat and awaited their arrival.

*****

God, I am really starting to dislike doing this,' Archer thought to himself as he sat beside Trip's bed in the medial bay. 

Just as Jon had suspected Trip's wound on his right wrist had become infected. The Commander had contracted a virus not unlike the flu and was now sleeping off the effects of the drugs that he had been given. Doctor Phlox had said that he would be fine in a few days, but it would take a bit more time for his wrist injuries to heal. The Doctor had said that the shoulder injury would clear up around the same time.

Phlox had tried to coax the Captain into going to his quarters to rest, but Jon wanted to be present when his lover woke up. He patted Trip's hand gently as he tried to ignore the images that were floating around in his head. He would have to tell the Commander that Malcolm knew about them. Archer hated that thought that Trip might lose everything because of his own stupidity. He himself was at risk of losing his job but it was his own fault. He knew he was being selfish, but all he wanted was to know if Trip would blame him. The engineer had every right to. Jon had let his emotions cloud his judgment and now they were both going to pay the price.

"Captain?" Jonathan looked up to see that Lieutenant Malcolm had entered the room. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, sir. I just came down to see how Commander Tucker was doing. The bridge crew were a bit worried when you didn't call or come up."

"He's alright, Lieutenant. It's just an infection and a small cold. Nothing to worry about. You can go and inform the others. I'll be up soon. The doctor just wants to check me over quickly before he'll let me leave." Jon smiled to himself. He wasn't the only one on the ship who cared about the Commander. He didn't know why, but that made him feel much more relaxed.

"Yes, Captain. I will relay your message to the bridge crew. We look forward to you're joining us." With that Lieutenant Reed turned on his heel and left.

*****

Archer stood in the captain's dining room staring out at the stars. The doctor had forced him to leave the Med. Bay and had promised to inform him when Trip awoke. With a sigh, Jonathan slumped down into his seat and picked up his mug of coffee. He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't notice the door chiming. Irritated, he called for the person to enter.

"Captain, I'm sorry to disturb you but we've received a transmission from Magistrate Shazal. She said that the activists are close to being brought under control. She also wanted to convey her thanks for yours and Commander Tucker's help. Would you like to send a reply?"

"No lieutenant. I believe that she already knows what my response would be." Archer paused for a moment. "Can I speak to"

The captain was interrupted as Doctor Phlox's voice came over the comm. "Captain Archer, Commander Tucker has awakened. Shall I tell him that you're coming?"

"Yes please, Doctor." Archer saw Lt. Reed smile slightly before turning to head back to the bridge. Acting as quickly as he could Jon called out. "Malcolm. About what happened on the shuttle pod, I understand if" 

"Shuttle pod, sir? I doubt you have to worry. I don't remember anything out of the ordinary happening." Malcolm's face was so blank as he said this that Archer could almost believe his crewman was telling the truth. 

"Thank-you."

The End

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Note: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. Please read and review.


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